Which way are you pulled?

We often talk about holding the tension in emerging church between Bible Tradition and Culture. Yet the critique is that tradition is the strongest (see being missional today) In conversations recently and reading around what many people are doing it would seem the dominant pull is towards tradition, and a lack of value on culture. I wondered if it was possible scale/measure your positioning in the triangle. Do you lean towards tradition, or bias culture?

missionary catalyst

Dave challenges my worldview on my missional engagement and approach of the past few years. Read about it here. This is why it is so great to be part of the community of practice and glocal expression of church that is StreetSpace. I cant wait till we have our first gathering (hopefully in autumn 2010) get in touch if you are interested in linking up.

sunday mite be different!!

FYT have posted a collection of creative and at times wacky ideas for a service based on the Widows mite. If you are interested please visit HERE for a download of a heap of creative ideas.

Please text ‘mite’ to 82540 to enable FYT to launch 36 StreetSpace projects working with young people on the streets over the next 3 years. Your text will cost £1.50 plus one standard message and FYT will receive at least £1 of this. Thank you!

House swap/ holidays

This year we have decided to support a new youth project instead of paying for a holiday (that and having the outlay on the cars). However we would still like to try and get away for a week or two and wondered if anyone fancied doing a house swap at Easter or in the summer. We are about 20 mins from the devon/dorset coast in chard, and would need a two/three bed house. Anyone interested let me know.

asbo??

Anti-social behaviour

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has published a survey conducted by the Youth Taskforce focusing on anti-social behaviour (here). The survey reveals that 80 per cent of people surveyed would like more positive activities for young people. The survey also shows that over two thirds of people in the 69 priority areas targeted think anti-social behaviour has stayed the same or got better over the last two years, while over a quarter say anti-social behaviour has got worse.

happy new year

HAppy new year? The last day of leave before i go back to work after an interesting break. Good times with family but needed to spend a grand on the cars servicing, tyres, tax etc and then mine has just gone wrong (not sure what maybe just a dirty fuel filter hopefully not the turbo) and needs an mot. Indie has chicken pox and very spotty, and got a message to say college has been flooded and my desk in particular (which included my lecture prep) but still I have enjoyed the break. Happy new year

Advent 5 – I am body – therefore I am

This is my final advent reflection for 2009…

What sort of body are you?
A busy-body
A lazy-body
A beautiful – body
You see my body, not my mind, not my soul, not my heart, not my feelings
Does any-body care?
Every- body wants to be a some-body
No-body wants to be a no-body
I am body – therefore I am

“The soul does not war with the body; the soul loves the body” – Meister Eckhart

“Our sensuality is a gift from God; in fact, “God is our sensuality” – Julian of Norwich
“You need four hugs a day for survival, eight for maintenance, and twelve for growth”
Virginia Satir

And so finally we are left with body. A body theology majors in touch, in feelings, in the senses, in sensuality (the English word for Incarnation) in what touches us and moves us. Body theology grounds us in the now, in the present, in the moment and demands a rediscovery of the reverence of flesh and a reawakening of the body, the resurrection of the bodily.

I wish you all a SENSUAL, embodied, Christmas.